Spring Cut Flower Kit

They are also all cut and come again flowers, so you can expect to have blooms from early summer through fall. Just keep your flowers picked so the plant keeps producing!

Introducing your flowers

Zinnias are one of the best flowers to grow for cutting. They are easy to grow, bloom for weeks on end, and they come in just about ever color you could want. No matter what bouquet style you’re going for, you’ll find a zinnia to suit your look.

Growing zinnias is as easy as direct sowing them in the garden after all risk of frost has passed. These flowers prefer rich, well-draining soil and full sun. Sow the seeds 1/4 inch deep, spaced 6-12 inches apart.

The seeds will sprout in about a week as long as you keep the seedbed evenly moist during the germination period. Once they sprout, water the plants deeply at least twice a week and avoid getting water on the leaves, as this can encourage fungal diseases. 

As the plants grow, you can pinch back the tips of the plants when they reach 8-10 inches tall. Cutting the main stem back will encourage the plant to branch and produce more side stems, which means more flowers. 

Once established, zinnias are known for their drought tolerance, making them a great option for those who want low-maintenance plants in their garden. Be sure to mulch around the plants to retain moisture in the soil and keep the roots cool.

Deadheading is important for keeping up flower production. This means removing old flowers as they fade on the plant. If you’re cutting flowers regularly for bouquets, this should be a quick task to snip any flowers you haven’t harvested. 

Zinnias are heavy feeders when grown for cutting, so be sure to fertilize them every 2-4 weeks. Worm castings, compost, or a balanced, organic fertilizer are all great options. 

Keep an eye out for butterflies and hummingbirds to stop by and visit the blooms for a drink.

If you don’t have sunflowers in your cutting garden, is it really a cutting garden? All jokes aside, sunflowers are one of the most popular cut flowers out there, and with good reason. From the palest yellow to the deepest gold (and even some burgundy!), sunflowers add cheer no matter the time of year.

The large, easy-to-handle seeds can be direct sown in the garden after the risk of frost has passed. Sow them 1/2 inch deep in rich, well-draining soil where the plants will get full sun.

Like many cut flowers, sunflowers need regular water 2-3 times per week to support their tall growth. Too little water will result in stunted plants that don’t grow as tall as they otherwise would.

Sunflowers come in single stem or branching varieties. Single stem varieties are usually faster to bloom, though they’ll only produce one bloom. Branching sunflowers do just what their name suggests. They have one main stem and multiple side branches, each of which produces a flower.

There’s no need to deadhead single stem sunflowers, but doing so for branching varieties can help squeeze in a few more blooms.

Keep an eye out for bees and butterflies on your flowers, and if you leave any flowers behind to go to seed, you’ll definitely spot birds having a snack on the seedheads.

Calendula, also known as pot marigold, is a bright and cheerful annual flower that is easy to grow and maintain. With its bright yellow and orange blooms, it’ll add a pop of color to your garden and vase. 

Calendula thrives in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. They aren’t as drought tolerant as some flowers, so make sure they’ll get regular water during the summer heat. 

Sow the seeds directly into the ground six inches apart and 1/4 inch deep. Calendulas are more frost tolerant than other flowers, so you can plant them up to 4 weeks before your last frost, though after the last frost is just fine, too. 

Keep the soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged. Calendulas won’t tolerate standing water, so make sure your soil has good drainage.

Calendula is not a heavy feeder, but a light application of a balanced fertilizer every six weeks or so can help encourage strong growth and more blooms.

Regular deadheading, or removing spent blooms, will encourage more flowers to form. Simply snap off the faded blooms at a leaf junction. The stems are slightly sticky, but it won’t leave any residue on your hands.

Calendula will last the longest of many cut flowers, producing blooms up to (or even past, in some climates) the first frost in the fall.

Want to start your flowers indoors?

Although all of the Kit flowers can be sown directly in your garden, you can get a head start on your gardening season by starting the seeds indoors. By sowing seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost, your plants will bloom about a month earlier.

To help you with the process, I’ve created a Seed Starting Checklist that covers everything from gathering materials to caring for your seedlings.

In the meantime, I’ve included enough peat pellets in your Kit to get you started right away with sowing some of your seeds indoors if you want to give it a try. No pressure! Remember that all of your seeds are perfectly happy to be sown straight in the garden or pot.

Here’s how to use the peat pellets:

1. Start by filling a tray or container with peat pellets and adding water. The pellets will absorb the water, expand to several times their size, and stand independently.
2. Once the pellets are hydrated, use your finger to make a small hole in the top of each pellet. You might need to make a small tear in the mesh around the pellet, which is totally fine. 
3. Place one or two seeds in each hole, then push a thin layer of the peat over the seeds. Alternatively, you can cover them with vermiculite or other seed starting mix. Covering the seeds helps keep them moist as they germinate.
4. Place the tray or container with the peat pellets in a warm and bright location.
5. Check on your seeds every day and keep the peat pellets moist by misting them with water as needed, or by putting ½ inch of water in the bottom of the tray for the pellets to soak up. 
6. Once the seeds have germinated, put them next to a bright window or under a shop light. A basic shop light from the hardware store is perfect. No need for a fancy light! 
7. Once your seedlings are large enough and the weather is warm enough, you can transplant them into your garden or larger containers after hardening them off.

Once your seedlings are in the garden, you’ll just need to keep them watered. You can fertilize them with an all-purpose fertilizer if you want to give them a boost, but they’ll perform wonderfully even without it. The varieties in this Spring Kit don’t need to be staked, pruned, or receive any other care other than watering (and pulling the occasional weed).

Once buds begin to form, get ready to harvest your first bouquet! This should happen 2-3 months after planting, starting with the calendulas. Even though the calendula will bloom earlier than the sunflowers and zinnias, they’ll keep producing flowers all summer so you have all three flowers blooming at the same time for the best bouquets.

Check out these tips for getting the freshest flowers:

You’re well on your way toward a fantastic spring flower garden. Growing your own flowers (and veggies!) is such a joy, and I’m so glad to share it with you!